London Heathrow - Taxi to Terminal ThreeAs a Private Hire Heathrow Airport Taxis driver based in the South of England, a lot of my business is made up of fares to Heathrow. I thought I'd share some tips for meeting and greeting, as Airports can seem so daunting to the occasional visitor! Most non-BA long-haul flights arrive at Terminal 3, along with a few European flights - notably SAS. It's my least favourite Terminal to meet and greet at! As a driver, I'm assuming that you are driving in to Heathrow, either to drop off or meet a friend or associate. When you emerge from the tunnel get into the right hand lane at the lights and head for Terminal 3 Short Stay car park. On the way there you will drive past the bus station, where the road makes a right hand turn. After the light controlled pedestrian crossing, get into the right hand lane, cross the junction ahead and keep right, into the Short Stay car park A good tip on entering the car park is to use a credit card at the entry barrier rather than pressing the button for a ticket - this saves time when you leave - no queuing at the ticket machine, and one less piece of paper to hold on to. Just use the same card at the barrier on exit and it'll automatically give you a receipt. Warning (this happened to me just last week!) - these machines will let you in with a Switch / Solo debit card, but they won't let you out again - to be sure, only use a Credit card for this operation! When you get into the Terminal 3 Short Stay car park, go up the ramp (the only way you can go, actually!) and try and find a space. It's often pretty busy on the first floor you'll get to, and if it really is FULL there'll be an attendant waving you up a floor. Once you've parked, the Terminal building is a short walk across the bridge - all covered, and clearly signed 'Arrivals & Departures'. If you're just dropping someone off, there's a good new drop off facility at Terminal 3 - rather than holding the right lane coming through the lights, get the next one over - this'll take you to the place you can drop off passengers: don't stay long, and always stay with your car! On entering T3, Arrivals & Check-In are down stairs. There are always crowds of people at Arrivals; there are a lot of Jumbos parking at this terminal! Unless you know the person you're meeting, then join the crowd of people lining the exit funnel with a 'welcome' sign - best thing is something distinctive and A4 sized - a logo maybe, but definitely something eye-catching and colourful. Make it easy on the person you're meeting - most signs have names and flight numbers on - make yours different! Stand somewhere prominent - where you'll be seen as soon as your passenger emerges through the sliding doors - next to Marks & Spencer is a good tip, as the distinctive green shop-front draws the eye! Alternatively, you could pre-arrange to meet under the 'Meeting Point' sign- this is to the right of the doors as your passenger exits. Always check the monitors when you enter the building - a good rule of thumb is that your passenger will come through T3 Arrivals about forty minutes to an hour after landing - but always watch the screen for the 'Baggage In Hall' message - this is usually a reliable indicator of their imminent emergence! However, T3 Arrivals can be very variable - long haul planes are often early, and always have hundreds of passengers - recently I have known people from the Far East and the USA to be through in less than half an hour, whilst last week I waited over an hour for someone coming from Norway! If you have a mobile phone contact number, then a quick call or SMS message can help keep track of your passenger to let them know where you are, and reassure them that you're there and waiting - takes away one more anxiety for the traveller. Once you've got your passenger, get out of there quick smart - the car park is expensive! Oh, and please drive carefully and considerately on the way home! Ethical Heathrow Airport Taxis operate a private hire vehicle in South Wiltshire, UK, specialising in airport transfer work, for more information on the services offered visit the Ethical Taxi website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Carter |